So Larkin Made Some Interesting Comments.

[SirloinUB]

But, again, he's the captain. He represents the entire organization. It's not about what he is personally sick of. It's about what is good for the organization. He is clearly not buying in if he thinks there's a difference between the two.

I’d argue what’s good for the organization is shifting into a less future focused and more presently competitive mindset. To me Larkin expressed that sentiment.

 

[jkutswings]

The team is headed in the right direction and no one has said anything to support Larkin as providing any sort of amazing leadership.

Of course there are players on the team who will speak to his leadership, that's the culture within the league.

The goalposts must be on wheels with how often you're moving them.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I'm feeling reasonably confident that Larkin's end of season interview with McLellan didn't go well and that's why he had himself a pity party. Of course there are players on the team who will speak to his leadership, that's the culture within the league.

If I were you, I would ask myself two questions:

1. Why is this getting picked up and becoming a story? If this is nothing as the Larkin defenders seem to suggest, why is it gaining traction?
2. What does the organization tend to do with players who cause problems?

We'll have to wait and see but I'd be shocked if Larkin is still captain on opening night.

1) Because hockey media and media in general is always looking for stories and this makes for great clickbait.
2) What does this have to do with Larkin? it's a couple sentences in a post game presser.

Prepare to be shocked in October.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I’d argue what’s good for the organization is shifting into a less future focused and more presently competitive mindset. To me Larkin expressed that sentiment.

I suppose there's a charitable way to interpret it and an uncharitable way. So, charitable: this is better for everyone, so why won't Steve do it? Uncharitable: I don't care if it's better for the organization, it's better for me personally, so why won't Steve do it?

It comes down to what you think he's really saying, which probably also comes down to how you feel about Larkin himself.

 

[SlickHands]

I don't understand the defense of the Yzerplan. He's looking like a very poor evaluator of existing NHL talent (the draft is up for debate at this point). His signings and trades have all been consistently either gambles on beyond aging veterans or apparently aimed at collecting as many 3rd/4th liners with Michigan/Red Wings ties as we can find. There was no investment in this team down the stretch, from sinking half the season with a coach who was clearly toast, to having a team in desperate need of a jolt at the deadline and opting for... wait for it... Petr Mrazek?

With each of his signings or deals, it's felt, what did anyone expect to have happen? Kane and DeBrincat haven't been busts, but outside of that? You're basically shaving 10 points off your previous season by signing to play here. And the decisions, relative to our needs, are mind-blowing. Could this team get any slower? And how can you be one of the oldest teams in the league and be over a decade in to your rebuild? Every other old team (Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Florida for example) are carrying cores that are that age because they actually make the playoffs every year, and have won things and are trying to keep their windows open. He didn't opt for old as Tampa's GM, he was trading for or signing guys like Sergachev and Tyler Johnson, while now I half expect him to try to sign Jonathan Toews if he follows through with trying to make a comeback.

Folks want to blame underperformances from signings like Tarasenko, but that's another terrible fit from the start. He was never quick, and after about 100 shoulder surgeries in St. Louis, he was never the same player. What did anyone expect? I'm frankly quite surprised he managed a full season, but he's at best a role player on a faster/deeper team (e.g. what he was in Florida), if he's even in the league at all in a year or two. The decision making on acquiring players has consistently been aiming at these low-risk, low potential for upside guys that we have to collectively cross our fingers on. And the only apparent long-term "plan" for adding anything is through draft miracles, most of which appear to be ages away if they ever materialize at all. Kucherov was a once in a lifetime find that you simply can't plan for.

 

[FMichael]

Look, there is a way to go about just about everything in life. If Larkin needs to look out for himself and purse other opportunities, go to Yzerman in private and ask for a trade, or go to Yzerman in private and let him know that if the club isn't targeting the playoffs, that you don't care to be here any longer. There is a way of handling the issue.

For the record, there is absolutely no way that we will ever win a trade of Larkin. Moreover, to find a center roughly comparable to Larkin will require a shit-ton of prolonged pain. I like Danielson more than most around here and I very much like Kasper. I am not, however, expecting either to be quite as good as Larkin. He is not the top 10 center that his critics want him to be, but he is still one of the top 20 centers in the league. For a team that has been looking for a second line center since 2016, this would create a big, big hole.

Going about this in private with Yzerman would be optimal, but answer me this - do you think that this hasn't been discussed already in private ad nauseam?

It's another end of season presser having to answer questions and being held accountable as the 'C' for the lack of performance and another year missing out on the playoffs.

You can only shoulder the blame for so long and once again I must reiterate - has any other 'C' had to endure such a prolonged period of time with a bunch of cast-offs and generally low quality roster that Larkin has had to endure?

Encouraging is to hear DBoss comments regarding McLellan

 

[izlez]

With each of his signings or deals, it's felt, what did anyone expect to have happen? Kane and DeBrincat haven't been busts, but outside of that? You're basically shaving 10 points off your previous season by signing to play here. And the decisions, relative to our needs, are mind-blowing. Could this team get any slower? And how can you be one of the oldest teams in the league and be over a decade in to your rebuild? Every other old team (Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Florida for example) are carrying cores that are that age because they actually make the playoffs every year, and have won things and are trying to keep their windows open. He didn't opt for old as Tampa's GM, he was trading for or signing guys like Sergachev and Tyler Johnson, while now I half expect him to try to sign Jonathan Toews if he follows through with trying to make a comeback.

-The Wings were the 18th oldest team in the league this year.
-Do you realistically see any scenario where the Wings do not get significantly younger over the next few years? They currently have 4 top-17 picks in the system that are not on the team yet

 

[Run the Jewels]

-The Wings were the 18th oldest team in the league this year.
-Do you realistically see any scenario where the Wings do not get significantly younger over the next few years? They currently have 4 top-17 picks in the system that are not on the team yet

Top 5 prospects in the entire NHL season after season under Yzerman. This team is just going to get better and better, and Larkin decided to throw himself a pity party and whine about 4th round draft picks.

Amazing leadership.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I don't understand the defense of the Yzerplan.

I'm not sure I see much defense of the Yzerplan here? It's not like we have to pick one of Larkin or Yzerman. It can be both their faults.

 

[SantosHalper]

Larkin has NTC, if was to be traded, he would decide where he wants to go. That particular team would not pay full value, no point to dream about Fantilli/Byfield's. The price would be, late 1st+prospect/s+roster player. Wings are better off with Larkin.

Larkin wants to win but has been coming up short and it's eating him up, and now that frustration is bursting out. TO time, heal up the wounds and back to work.
---------------------------------

In his postseason interview, Kane spoke positively about Larkin's leadership.

Not the first time. After the 2018 world championships, where Kane was captain, he commented that Larkin was the "real captain" of that team.

 

[SlickHands]

-The Wings were the 18th oldest team in the league this year.
-Do you realistically see any scenario where the Wings do not get significantly younger over the next few years? They currently have 4 top-17 picks in the system that are not on the team yet

Aside from Mo and Raymond, we don't have much of an active NHL core to build around. Which, the whole "we have a deep prospect pool" thing might play out in our favor eventually, it's feeling further and further away, and what we're left with now is a collection of placeholders. And it doesn't have to be that way, a commitment one way or the other is the only thing I'm looking for. Either actually take some rebuilding risks with assets you don't really need long term (who's really here in 2-3 years when this starts to maybe, hopefully be something?) or do something that actually takes advantage of what we have now. Living in this perpetual state of let's aim for the 7-8 seed for "playoff experience" is a recipe for staying exactly where we're at.

 

[Frk It]

I'm feeling reasonably confident that Larkin's end of season interview with McLellan didn't go well and that's why he had himself a pity party. Of course there are players on the team who will speak to his leadership, that's the culture within the league.

If I were you, I would ask myself two questions:

1. Why is this getting picked up and becoming a story? If this is nothing as the Larkin defenders seem to suggest, why is it gaining traction?
2. What does the organization tend to do with players who cause problems?

We'll have to wait and see but I'd be shocked if Larkin is still captain on opening night.

I think we need to dial this back a bit.

To me, I think the comments could be viewed as he cares a lot about the team and wants to put some pressure on the front office to do more. And I am not sure that is the worst thing?

You keep talking about the prospects and drafting, and I am also encouraged by that... but do you think we did a good job this last off-season and trade deadline? Yes or no.

Top 5 prospects in the entire NHL season after season under Yzerman. This team is just going to get better and better, and Larkin decided to throw himself a pity party and whine about 4th round draft picks.

Amazing leadership.

I thought you were unhappy with the job Draper was doing?

 

[Henkka]

And how can you be one of the oldest teams in the league and be over a decade in to your rebuild? Every other old team (Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Florida for example) are carrying cores that are that age because they actually make the playoffs every year, and have won things and are trying to keep their windows open. He didn't opt for old as Tampa's GM, he was trading for or signing guys like Sergachev and Tyler Johnson, while now I half expect him to try to sign Jonathan Toews if he follows through with trying to make a comeback.

Don't re-write the history. Yzerman was going after old players and experience at Tampa too, before se started giving the placeholder spots for younger and home-grown drafted talent.

His first signing was 30-year old Simon Gagne, then went after 40-year old Dwayne Roloson signed also 33-year old Brett Clark and traded for 31-year old Eric Brewer. Later on, signed 29 year old Filppula for 5 years, signed 37-year old Sami Salo, traded for Ryan Callahan who became injury bust etc.

His trading and free agent signings at Tampa weren't perfect either, but it looks like the same plan as Detroit. He just started it from way far behind.

 

[Henkka]

I don't understand the defense of the Yzerplan. He's looking like a very poor evaluator of existing NHL talent (the draft is up for debate at this point). His signings and trades have all been consistently either gambles on beyond aging veterans or apparently aimed at collecting as many 3rd/4th liners with Michigan/Red Wings ties as we can find.

But you have to understand, that the Yzerplan is not signings and trades. It's building that nucleus from our own prospects, and not trading that capital away.

If you don't understand the whole plan, how can you say you don't understand the plan defenders?

 

[SlickHands]

Don't re-write the history. Yzerman was going after old players and experience at Tampa too, before se started giving the placeholder spots for younger and home-grown drafted talent.

His first signing was 30-year old Simon Gagne, then went after 40-year old Dwayne Roloson signed also 33-year old Brett Clark and traded for 31-year old Eric Brewer. Later on, signed 29 year old Filppula for 5 years, signed 37-year old Sami Salo, traded for Ryan Callahan who became injury bust etc.

His trading and free agent signings at Tampa weren't perfect either, but it looks like the same plan as Detroit. He just started it from way far behind.

It's not the same script. Every team signs older veterans to plug the holes when they have a stellar young core (Kucherov, Hedman, Vasilevskiy, a still prime Stamkos).. The older veterans aren't supposed to be your core.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Yzerman is a 'meh' GM. Not terrible, not good, just 'meh'. Larkin is allowed to be frustrated and speak his mind, plus the vibe I got from the clip was he was echoing the sentiments of the room as a whole. I've been watching hockey for over 30 years, almost every season at the TDL or exit interviews (regardless of team) there are story lines about players on a 'selling' bubble team saying that the lack of faith in them shown by the management deflated them, or the opposite where a new add invigorated them. This is not a novel concept and there is literally nothing wrong with Larkin's objectively true statement. The team did not do anything, it was neutral, and the reaction was neutral, but the team really needed a boost down the stretch - so neutral was a bust and hindsight is the org would have been better off selling.

Since I wasn't active on these boards around the TDL Ill throw my 2 cents out there, I was hoping for both to happen. I wanted to ship out some of our dud players to playoff teams but then pick up some roster ready players from the bottom feeders. I do not support the idea of 'tanking' and wanted the Wings to go for a playoff spot, but do agree that Yzerman was correct to not be a big name buyer at the deadline, especially with prices being so high. I still feel there was room to wheel and deal and flip some assets to stay in the Wild Card race while still posturing the team for better success next year.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I think we need to dial this back a bit.

To me, I think the comments could be viewed as he cares a lot about the team and wants to put some pressure on the front office to do more. And I am not sure that is the worst thing?

You keep talking about the prospects and drafting, and I am also encouraged by that... but do you think we did a good job this last off-season and trade deadline? Yes or no.

I thought you were unhappy with the job Draper was doing?

The prospects who are giving the organization those top ratings have been drafted out of Europe. So sure, Kris Draper is the guy who identified them all on his own. If anything I give him credit for realizing Håkan and his crew are the best in the business at what they do.

Am I impressed with what Yzerman is doing yes or no? I would say yes. 5 guys in the top 6 capable of putting up 30 goals (I'm including Kasper here who had as many even-strength goals as Larkin this season).

He was ready to acquire Trouba this past summer, who isn't great or anything but would have given us a mediocre top 4 on defense and likely improved our PK.

Is every signing great? Of course not, not the Holl signing, not the Reimer signing, not the Tarasenko signing. That doesn't change the fact Larkin went out in front of the media and whined about 4th round draft picks when Kasper tied for second in the league for even strength goals by rookies and Simon Edvinsson was first for d-men 21 and under in even strength goals.

S**t, give these young guys PP time and we can stop whining about trade deadline acquisitions which is just embarrassing. If Larkin is injured and incapable of producing down the stretch, what difference would blowing picks and prospects on a rental make? Zero, thanks for playing.

 

[Frk It]

The prospects who are giving the organization those top ratings have been drafted out of Europe. So sure, Kris Draper is the guy who identified them all on his own. If anything I give him credit for realizing Håkan and his crew are the best in the business at what they do.

Am I impressed with what Yzerman is doing yes or no? I would say yes. 5 guys in the top 6 capable of putting up 30 goals (I'm including Kasper here who had as many even-strength goals as Larkin this season).

He was ready to acquire Trouba this past summer, who isn't great or anything but would have given us a mediocre top 4 on defense and likely improved our PK.

Is every signing great? Of course not, not the Holl signing, not the Reimer signing, not the Tarasenko signing. That doesn't change the fact Larkin went out in front of the media and whined about 4th round draft picks when Kasper tied for second in the league for even strength goals by rookies and Simon Edvinsson was first for d-men 21 and under in even strength goals.

S**t, give these young guys PP time and we can stop whining about trade deadline acquisitions which is just embarrassing. If Larkin is injured and incapable of producing down the stretch, what difference would blowing picks and prospects on a rental make? Zero, thanks for playing.

I asked you specifically if you are impressed by what he did last summer in the off-season and a month ago at the deadline? After just missing the playoffs last year.

If no, maybe you can understand where Larkin is coming from a bit better.

You are really taking that 4th round comment out of context.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Going about this in private with Yzerman would be optimal, but answer me this - do you think that this hasn't been discussed already in private ad nauseam?

It's another end of season presser having to answer questions and being held accountable as the 'C' for the lack of performance and another year missing out on the playoffs.

You can only shoulder the blame for so long and once again I must reiterate - has any other 'C' had to endure such a prolonged period of time with a bunch of cast-offs and generally low quality roster that Larkin has had to endure?

Encouraging is to hear DBoss comments regarding McLellan

If you aren't encouraged by the response in private, ask for a trade.

If you think the FO isn't holding up its end of something bargained for in private, ask for a trade.

If you aren't up for the task of being captain (something I never accused him of) don't be captain.

If you don't want to be a on rebuilding team and want to play with better players, don't sign as an unrestricted free agent.

Larkin had plenty of opportunities to handle this differently. If you like what Larkin did, I hope you also like the return he brings via trade.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I asked you specifically if you are impressed by what he did last summer in the off-season and a month ago at the deadline? After just missing the playoffs last year.

If no, maybe you can understand where Larkin is coming from a bit better.

This organization's best players are all 24 and younger. If Larkin doesn't like that and wants to sacrifice the team's long term goals so he can say he made the playoffs, that's too bad. He may not like the guys Yzerman has acquired, but those moves got Larkin to within a few games of making the playoffs. At some point the players have to take that next step and get it done.

Would I trade for a rental after I saw how this team faded two years in a row? That would be sheer lunacy.

 

[Frk It]

This organization's best players are all 24 and younger. If Larkin doesn't like that and wants to sacrifice the team's long term goals so he can say he made the playoffs, that's too bad. He may not like the guys Yzerman has acquired, but those moves got Larkin to within a few games of making the playoffs. At some point the players have to take that next step and get it done.

Would I trade for a rental after I saw how this team faded two years in a row? That would be sheer lunacy.

That’s fair, I mean yeah I guess the deadline wasn’t the time to do it. Last off-season really was, and in my opinion, we mishandled that pretty badly.

Your only play was Trouba? Really? After I was told the 2nd we gave away to dump Walman was to open cap? That’s weak as hell, and let’s be honest, the optics to all of that were not great.

If I was Larkin I would (like to think)I would keep these comments to private conversations, so I think that piece of this is more than fair to criticize.

But to ask for him to be stripped of a letter or trades? I disagree with that.

 

[RRhoads]

We hardly had cap space last season. Not much could have been done differently. At least nothing that would move the needle much. Tank was the biggest mistake, but when people say they wish we had Perron instead, they should look at his production this year too.

 

[Run the Jewels]

That’s fair, I mean yeah I guess the deadline wasn’t the time to do it. Last off-season really was, and in my opinion, we mishandled that pretty badly.

Your only play was Trouba? Really? After I was told the 2nd we gave away to dump Walman was to open cap? That’s weak as hell.

If I was Larkin I would (like to think)I would keep these comments to private conversations, so I think that piece of this is more than fair to criticize.

But to ask for him to be stripped of a letter or trades? I disagree with that.

Like it or not, Yzerman has made moves when the situation called for them. There's the games on February 27-28, 2023 when we looked like we were competing for a playoff spot but then got clobbered by Ottawa, 6-2 and 6-1. Steve immediately sold, and with the benefit of hindsight that was the correct move.

He added $116 million in UFA signings in the summer of 2023 and 2024 and the team has now gone through three straight seasons where they've faded down the stretch. The fact Larkin is s**tting all over his GM is not going to help his reputation, no matter what Patrick Kane thinks.

At some point the players have to win an extra game of two over an 82 game season. This is a results business and whining about how your GM didn't get you into the playoffs by blowing capital so you can get your face caved in over four games is cringe worthy. I'm sorry, but that's not captain material in my world.

 

[SCD]

It is amazing how some just like to point out some of the bad transactions. Yzerman won the Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Hronek trades. All were major pieces at the time.

 

[minimal]

He may not like the guys Yzerman has acquired, but those moves got Larkin to within a few games of making the playoffs. At some point the players have to take that next step and get it done.

Holl, Tarasenko, Gustafsson, Petry, Chiarot (depending on the night imo), Compher in 24-25, Motte, Fischer, Kostin, Husso, Reimer, Craig Smith. And those are just the ones I personally have issues with.

Are you sure it wasn't Larkin and the under-24's that got them within a few games of making the playoffs? Absolutely they need to get it done at some point, but it's hard for me to make personal attacks on Larkin's character when there's maybe 3 good D on a given night, there's only enough talent to have either a complete second or complete first line, and the bottom six is a collection of role players with no standout roles.